As necessary a stallion as Unbridled’s Track has been to United States breeding and racing, the query as to which of his sons will carry his line ahead stays unanswered greater than 10 years after his loss of life in 2013.
Two-time grade 1 winner Liam’s Map , winner of the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Grime Mile (G1) and now a profitable stallion with six crops to race, appears to be like like an more and more severe candidate.
Liam’s Map stands at Lane’s Finish close to Versailles, Ky., for a charge of $40,000 in 2024. His quick, versatile progeny—hallmark traits of Unbridled’s Track—embrace a number of grade 1 winner and 2021 champion turf male Colonel Liam , plus Juju’s Map , Depraved Whisper , and Basin —who had been all precocious grade 1 winners on dust at age 2.
Basin is one in all three of Liam’s Map’s sons, together with Beau Liam and Rushie ,whose first-crop yearlings shall be featured at Fasig-Tipton’s The July Sale, the primary yearling public sale of the North American season, which takes place July 9 in Lexington.
BEAU LIAM
As a choose sale, there’s a bar for particular person horses to satisfy to achieve entry to the July sale, which is understood for well-conformed, athletic horses with stakes potential. The very fact Beau Liam landed 12 yearlings within the catalog is an effective signal.
A Stonestreet Stables homebred, Beau Liam solely raced 4 occasions, however the method through which he ran was extraordinarily spectacular. He debuted at Churchill Downs Could 29 of his 3-year-old season in 2021 and gained by 7 1/2 lengths whereas operating six furlongs in 1:08.62. He stepped up and gained consecutive allowance races after that, the second at Saratoga Race Course the place he ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.05. His profession was minimize quick by harm after a second-place end within the Ack Ack Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Airdrie Stud president Bret Jones stands Beau Liam at his household’s farm close to Halfway, Ky., for a $6,000 charge in 2024.
“We simply occurred to be at Churchill the day he broke his maiden, and he was extremely spectacular. We instantly tabbed him as a possible stallion,” Jones stated. “These first three begins had been about as spectacular as a horse may be. The debut was the quickest six-furlong maiden particular weight within the historical past of Churchill Downs, which is a reasonably unbelievable feat. He adopted up with Beyer Velocity Figures of 106 and 107 in his subsequent two begins. For a 3-year-old to try this is extraordinary.”
Jones stated the primary attribute that involves thoughts when he appears to be like at Beau Liam and his progeny is athleticism.
“He’s a really athletically constructed horse. You need to be an actual athlete to run the occasions he did, and we’re seeing that athleticism within the infants he’s getting,” Jones stated. “We had been very completely happy we had been capable of work a take care of Barbara Banke, and Spendthrift Farm as properly, to get him to Airdrie. He is the kind of bodily we love to have the ability to put within the stallion barn.
“There may be large brilliance and talent via that sire line, and hopefully it will likely be handed on subsequent via little kids of Beau Liam.”
Beau Liam’s enchantment as a stallion prospect additionally contains feminine facet pedigree. He’s out of the grade 2-winning Dehere mare Belle of Perintown and is a half to grade 3 winner Strike It Wealthy (Unbridled’s Track), stakes winners Ari Oakley (Gun Runner ) and Tomlin (Distorted Humor ), and stakes-placed Luxurious (Hennessy), who’s dam of April 21 Santa Maria Stakes (G2) winner Espresso in Mattress (Curlin ) and grade 3 winner Nice Stuff (High quality Street ).
BASIN
Spendthrift Farm is companions with Airdrie in Beau Liam, however the Lexington farm additionally invested in a second son of Liam’s Map in 2019 Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner Basin. Ned Toffey, basic supervisor of Spendthrift, talked about Spendthrift’s involvement in these two new stallions.
The Basin filly consigned as Hip 33 on the F-T July Sale
“There was attending to be some concern whether or not Unbridled’s Track was going to supply a son, however Liam’s Map has definitely executed a superb job, and this is a crucial stallion line to have representatives of,” Toffey stated.
Basin broke his maiden in July of his 2-year-old season at Saratoga Race Course after which gained the Hopeful. At age 3 he added placings within the Insurgent Stakes (G2), Arkansas Derby (G1), and Amsterdam Stakes (G2). At 4 he gained the seven-furlong Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
“Basin was a really precocious 2-year-old, a pretty, athletic horse who was a grade 1 winner at 2,” Toffey stated. “We felt he was a horse that might enchantment to breeders, particularly at a lower cost level, however we may see him breaking out and turning into any variety.”
Basin’s 2024 stud charge was $5,000. He’s represented by 4 yearlings within the July sale. Toffey stated Basin is producing, “typey, athletic horses that look so much like him.”
“The Basins ought to be precocious. They’re fast-looking, however they seem to have some class and magnificence to them too,” Toffey stated. “We’re very very proud of them.”
RUSHIE
The third son of Liam’s Map represented on the July sale is 2020 Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) winner Rushie, who began his stud profession at Nice Acres Stallions in Ocala, Fla., in 2022 however moved to proprietor Dex Comardelle’s Blue Star Racing in Scott, La., in 2023. Rushie’s 2024 stud charge was $4,000.
Comardelle bought Rushie on the conclusion of his racing profession. Comardelle stated Rushie’s homeowners on the monitor, James and Donna Daniell, are supporting him with mares, as is Comardelle’s Louisiana possession group.
The Rushie colt consigned as Hip 56 on the F-T July Sale
“We’re supporting him, and we’re excited to see how this primary crop is acquired on the gross sales after which on into their 2-year-old season,” Comardelle stated. “We’re actually grateful to have a prospect of his caliber at stud.
“Liam’s Map is crimson sizzling. I believe the sky is the restrict for him as he retains turning out winners and grade 1 horses left and proper. Liam’s Map might be the foundational sire from the Unbridled’s Track line that the business has been on the lookout for for some time.”
Comardelle stated the choice to maneuver Rushie was in response to Louisiana’s elevated purse ranges because of gaming income.
Hip 56, a Florida-bred colt by Rushie out of the successful Uncaptured mare Mochaccino , is his lone consultant within the July sale and shall be consigned by Eaton Gross sales, agent. The colt bought a pleasant replace when his half sister You Want Me (St Patrick’s Day ) completed second within the Could 11 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes in her debut and adopted that up with a maiden particular weight victory at Gulfstream Park.
Comardelle stated Rushie is stamping his progeny.
“I’m excited by how these foals are trying,” Comardelle stated. “They’re properly balanced, with good hips and loads of leg. They’re mature-looking foals that seem like they might be early and precocious, however with sufficient dimension and scope that they might stretch out down the street.
“It is nice to have one up there within the July sale. It is all the time good to get illustration early within the yearling promoting season, and that is all the time been an ideal sale that is properly attended.”